Lingerie clasp



Sept. 20, 1955 F. HOKANSON 2,718,042

LINGERIE CLASP Filed Max:611- 15 1954 IN V EN TOR.

F R/Dfi HOKHNS o/v BY 5 TTORNE Y United fitates Patent LINGERIE CLASP Fritla Hokanson, Westwood, N. 1. Application March 15, 1954, Serial No. 416,111 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-159) The invention relates to clasps adapted for use with wearing apparels and more particularly to lingerie.

The object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which shall be simple of construction, durable in use, inexpensive of production, quickly applied, and adapted especially for holding the shoulder straps of a slip and brassiere in perfect alignment while being worn; and said device having means to prevent it from sliding upward or downward when fastened in a desired position.

Several forms of the clasp are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one tion.

Fig. 2 is a side view with two straps in position.

Fig. 3 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of Fig. 2, without the straps.

Fig. 4 is a side view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the first stage of the closing or locking action due to pressure exerted as indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating the intermediate stage of the closing or locking action.

Fig. 6 illustrates the final closed or locked position.

Fig. 7 is an end view of the closed or locked position looking in the direction of the arrows 7--'7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another form of my clasp in open position, and

Fig. 9 is an end view in closed or locked position of the form shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings numeral 10 indicates a base leg of my clasp, 11 the upper leg, and 12 the spring or flexing portion connecting these two legs. The base leg 10 has the vertically projecting triangular prong 13 which is centrally located and is an integral part thereof. This prong is caused to pierce the lingerie straps S and S as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 when the clasp is closed and locked which will be more fully described herein. The base leg It has at its front end the upwardly extending shoulder 14 from which extend the locking fingers 15. The furcation 16 between the locking fingers is provided to receive the neck 17 integral with the locking tab 18 and the downwardly extending shoulder 19 of the upper leg 11.

The clip form illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 is essentially the same construction as that shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive; the difference being in the length of the extending locking fingers 15 and the depth of the groove 16 which is less than that of locking fingers 15 and locking groove 16.

The clasp can be punched and formed from thin spring temper metal or a hard but springy plastic suitable for this purpose which can be punched to shape and heat formed.

In use, the clasp is passed over and under the lingerie straps S and S as shown in Fig. 2 with the base leg iii toward the body of the user. Pressure is then applied to the base leg 10 by the thumb as indicated by the arrow T and to the spring or flexing portion 12 of the upper leg 11 by the forefinger as indicated by the arrow F as illustrated in Fig. 4. This action moves the upper leg 11 downward, bringing the locking tab 18 into contact with the upper surface of the locking fingers 15 and also causes the prong 13 to pierce the straps S and S as shown. Referring to Fig. 5 it will be seen that when. continued pressure is applied by the thumb and forefinger,

form in open posithe spring or flexing portion 12 is caused to flatten. This flattening action causes the upper leg 11 to become longer and the locking tab 13, which has been resting upon the locking fingers 15, to slide forward as indicated by means of the dot and dash lines. When the locking tab 13 reaches this position, the continued squeezing pressure applied by the thumb and forefinger causes the locking tab to snap off the ends of the locking fingers 15, and the neck 17 supporting the locking tab slipping downward into the groove 16 between the locking fingers 15 until the lower edge of the shoulder 19 contacts the top surface of said locking fingers as shown. The lingerie straps S and 8 being entirely pierced by the prong 13 during this action. By releasing the squeezing pressure applied by the thumb and forefinger arrows T and P Fig. 6, the spring or flexing section causes the upper leg to pull back or shorten. This in turn causes the locking tab 18 to slide under the locking fingers 15 and the neck portion 1'7 to slide back into the groove 16 which is provided for this purpose. The clip is now firmly locked in position on the straps S and S and is prevented from sliding upward or downward on them by means of the prong 13.

To open the clasp, squeezing pressure must again be applied in the same manner as for closing until the upper leg 11 is again brought into the full line position illustrated in Fig. 5. At this time the thumb and forefinger of the other hand of the wearer of the clip must pull the upper leg 11 up to the dot and dash line position shown in Fig. 5 before releasing the pressure on the spring or fiexing portion 15.; otherwise it will relock.

The locking action of the clip illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 is identical with that already described only in that the lower edge of the locking tab 18 contacts the surface of the small locking fingers 15 and also snaps off their ends due to the lengthening of the upper leg 11 by means of the pressure on the spring or flexing portion 12. The upper edges of the locking tab 1& will engage the under surface of the locking fingers 15 the neck 17* entering the shallow groove 16 for that purpose. The unlocking of this form is identical with that already described for the form illustrated in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A lingerie clasp as described, comprising a pair of legs, said legs consisting of a base leg and an upper leg, and being in parallel planes, said legs are integrally connected at one end by a spring or flexing portion to hold them in normal open position, said base leg having at its front end a vertically extending shoulder, from which shoulder extends a pair of locking fingers, said locking fingers being in a plane parallel to said bottom leg, and having a groove between said fingers, and capable of receiving the neck portion or" a locking tab, which locking tab and neck portion extends from the downward shoulder portion extending from the front end of said upper leg, said locking tab and neck portion being in a plane parallel with said upper leg, and engaging said locking fingers and said groove when in closed position and a position retaining member carried by said bottom leg, said retaining member consisting of a vertically projecting triangular prong which is centrally located and is an integral part of said bottom leg; the purpose of said spring or flexing portion being to lock or unlock said clasp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 442,222 Gunderson Dec. 9, 1890 1,321,408 Wagner Nov. 11, 1919 1,459,735 Kraft June 26, 1923 1,487,387 Hurlbutt Mar. 18, 1924 

